Lorain plow trucks salting of secondary and side streets will be kept to “an absolute minimum” due to the shortage, according to a Monday news release from Mayor Chase Ritenauer. Lorain expected to use 5,500 tons this winter but has used about 6,600 tons so far, Ritenauer said in an interview.

“It’s an imperfect science,” he said. “It depends on what the weather does.”

Lorain has about 650 tons remaining and is expecting 1,110 tons to be delivered later this week. Salt will be primarily used on major arteries.

Ritenauer and Mary Swierka, Elyria safety service director, said they’ve been having problems getting deliveries from their salt supplier. They said many Northeast Ohio communities have experienced shortages. There also have been published reports of shortages in Canada and Pennsylvania due to heavy snowfalls.

Swierka said Elyria has used about 4,000 tons this year but was unsure of the current stock. She said a couple hundred tons were delivered Saturday.

Swierka said Elyria, which has never salted secondary or side roads unless they include curves or hills, concentrates on main roads, curves, hills and intersections. “We’re being conservative,” she said, adding that drivers should not park in the streets to make it easier to plow.